Choosing A Therapist For Your Teen
Choosing the best therapist for your teen is complicated by the many styles, often referred to as “orientations," of therapists. For example, when dealing with anxiety issues, cognitive behavioral therapists will likely focus on the teen’s thoughts that lead to anxious behaviors and seek to modify the maladaptive thoughts. Another therapist may rely on safe re-exposure to the sources of fears, particularly when specific phobias, such as fear of heights, are of primary concern. Yet another may attempt to decrease anxiety through relaxation methods, often used in the face of increasingly anxiety provoking objects or events. A therapist may seek to build social competencies for a teen suffering from social anxiety. Decreasing the teen’s use of rituals in the face of anxiety provoking thoughts may be helpful. If your teen naturally seeks understanding and insight, he or she might benefit most from a psychodynamically oriented therapist; i.e., someone interested in unconscious as well as conscious process and how each contributes to anxiety. The diverse orientations of therapists and how to choose the best therapist for your son or daughter relate to all mental health concerns, not only to the issues of anxiety used in this example.
None of the aforementioned therapeutic styles are wrong. In fact, they all contain elements of truth and relevance and can be helpful to your teen. That being the case, the most important things you can do in choosing a therapist for your child are to:
Choose your teen’s therapist based on referrals from friends and respected school officials.
Insure that the therapist has worked with teens before. Teens are unique in what they are experiencing and how they experience it, and should not be treated as if they are simply young adults.
Insure that your therapist is experienced in dealing with the specific problems being experienced by your teen.
Talk to the therapist at length and trust your inner feeling about him or her. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t engage that person as your teen’s therapist.
After choosing a therapist, give your child and the therapist as much room for confidential interaction as you can tolerate, but pay close attention to how your child feels about the therapist. If a relationship of trust and confidence is not established within a few sessions, talk to the therapist about what you see, and do not be afraid to change therapists if necessary.
While not being afraid to change your teen’s therapist if you and your teen agree that the current therapist is not helpful (and you have already discussed the problem with the therapist), be aware that changing therapists may decrease your teen’s willingness to go to a therapist at all. Weigh the pros and cons carefully.
If your concerns are related to Suicide or Bipolar Disorder, please see additional comments in those sections of the website on choosing the best therapist or other mental health professional to help you.
For additional information on psychotherapy, see: What is Psychotherapy and How Does It Work?, which can be found at http://www.psytx.com/.
Leon Pyle, PhD
